The present invention relates to grips for archery bows and more particularly to means for providing an interface between the bow and the archer's hand.
As the use of archery equipment for recreational target competition and hunting has become more popular, the demand for more powerful and accurate archery bows has increased. Consequently, mechanically advantaged compound bows have been developed which allow the archer to deliver high levels of thrust to the arrow. Sophisticated sighting and error correction mechanisms are also being employed.
Of course, the ultimate accuracy of a properly sighted arrow will largely depend upon the stability and proper placement of the archer's extended arm and hand with respect to the grip of the bow. Unfortunately, the newer more powerful bows place a greater premium on this factor because of the correspondingly greater forces applied at the interface between the hand and bow. These forces produce what is commonly referred to as bow torquing. That is, if the archer intentionally or accidentally adjusts the position of his hand and wrist in the horizontal plane, such as when he is forced to shoot from a less than ideal position, the frictional forces produced at the hand-bow interface will cause undesirable alteration in the orientation of the bow itself, and whereby the grip will no longer be properly centered in the hand which grips it.
Many archers and bow manufacturers have overlooked this problem and continue to produce a hand-bow interface which seeks to increase the friction at the interface. For example, most contemporary compound bows have grips made of hard plastic or rubber. Frequently, the manufacturer or after market supplier will suggest the use of a tennis grip-type or cork interface material to prevent slipping of the grip at the point where it meets the hand, between the thumb and forefinger. This interface actually increases the tendency toward bow torquing. A similar approach has been taken by users of archery gloves.
Recognizing the need for allowing slight variations in the hand and wrist angle while maintaining a properly aimed bow, the prior art has addressed the problem at the grip-bow interface. That is, bows have been designed whereby the grip assembly can rotate on its vertical axis independently from the rest of the bow. Examples of this arrangement can be seen in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,397,685; 3,538,902; 4,252,100; and 4,457,287. To this inventor's knowledge, none of these designs have been commercially used. It is apparent that these grips are quite complex mechanically, thereby increasing the cost and weight of the bow while decreasing its reliability.
What is needed, then, is a reliable means for minimizing archery bow torquing that does not significantly add to the cost or weight of the bow.